Sunday, 11 September, 2011 - Central Park, Manhattan, N.Y. City
At the compost area in the park's north end (just west and uphill from the Conservatory Garden, near (uphill from) a park entrance at E. 106 St., a drab young (likely female) Dickcissel was watched for several minutes at the west side of the composting area (not the wood chip piles which are immediately south of the higher compost area), in close view, and heard giving brief calls, until the bird flew a bit east across the piles of compost, not to be rediscovered by the two of us - it might well stay in that weedy area, and could associate with House Sparrows (as Dickcissels will do in such situations) although when seen it was not moving with any obvious flocks. We did see it briefly side-by-side with a (slightly smaller) House Finch, on a branch above the compost. Otherwise it seemed a much less active morning for migrants in Central than the day before, although at least a bit could still be found, including Tennessee & Wilson's Warbler, etc. on the south side of the Great Hill. I was with Mike Freeman for the Dickcissel sighting, as well as the few warblers we noted in the n. end.
On Saturday, a fairly good flight (including a bit of early morning reverse movement) took place, with both Black-billed & Yellow-billed Cuckoos in the north end, as well as a nice variety of generally- expected warbler species, Veery & Swainson's Thrushes, a lot of Red- eyed Vireos, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Scarlet Tanagers, and at least a few Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, some feeding in Orange Jewelweed patches in the woods and meadow areas. There were also a nice variety of migrants in Riverside Park's northern sections on Saturday - seemingly less there Sunday.
Elsewhere, the raptor migration got into higher gear region-wide as a few hawk-watch sites, including well-known Hawk Mt. Sanctuary in eastern Pennsylvania, tallied well over 1,000 Broad-winged Hawks on Saturday, as well as a variety of other migrating raptors, with Osprey and Bald Eagle featuring prominently. The week ahead could be fairly good for ongoing movement of these diurnal migrants (and nocturnal species as well...).
While I respect those wishing to be "low-key" on a sighting of a bird that was last seen flying away, a BLACK-NECKED STILT seems a rare enough bird for the state, including Brookyn / Kings County, to merit more than a bird-bander's code in the subject line of a report. In code, or not, a nice find!
Good birding, Tom Fiore, Manhattan
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